1.4 Million Ugandans Have Eye Defects – Health Ministry

As the country prepares to commemorate the annual World Sight Day held on 13 October, the Health Ministry has revealed that over 1.4 million Ugandans have defects on their eyes.

Speaking to journalists at their headquarters in Mulago, Dr. Stanley Bubikye, the National Eye Health Coordinator said statistics show many people around the world have visual impairment and that Uganda is among the most affected.

“Over 1.2 million people are visually impaired through short sightedness whereas 250,000(0.4% of the population) are totally blind in Uganda,” Dr.Bubikye said.

According to the Health Ministry official, cataracts are the most common cause for blindness among Ugandans putting it at 57% which he explained occurs most especially among the elderly people when their lenses become opaque and the person can no longer see.

The Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng revealed that globally over 300 million people are visually impaired with 45 million among these blind.

“More than 90% of the world’s visually impaired persons live in developing countries whereas women are at a higher risk of visual impairment than men,” Aceng said.

The minister stated that the most common eye conditions in Uganda include cataracts, low vision, increased eye pressure and trachoma among others.

She urged people to always have regular eye checkups and eating of balanced diets with fresh fruits and vegetables as ways of avoiding and detecting visual impairments.

“People should always read in good light as well as avoiding self-medication which is not prescribed by qualified eye health workers. Wash the face around the eyes every morning and protecting them from direct sunlight,” Aceng advised.

The health minister also noted that the ministry will in honor of the day screen eye diseases in all groups of people in Mbarara district plus a regional eye camp in Moyo aimed at screening school going children of refractive errors.

“Eye shades will be provided to albinos to protect their eyes from direct sunlight.”